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Buono L, Annona G, Magri MS, Negueruela S, Sepe RM, Caccavale F, Maeso I, Arnone MI, D’Aniello S. Conservation of cis-Regulatory Syntax Underlying Deuterostome Gastrulation. Cells 2024; 13:1121. [PMID: 38994973 PMCID: PMC11240583 DOI: 10.3390/cells13131121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Throughout embryonic development, the shaping of the functional and morphological characteristics of embryos is orchestrated by an intricate interaction between transcription factors and cis-regulatory elements. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of deuterostome cis-regulatory landscapes during gastrulation, focusing on four paradigmatic species: the echinoderm Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, the cephalochordate Branchiostoma lanceolatum, the urochordate Ciona intestinalis, and the vertebrate Danio rerio. Our approach involved comparative computational analysis of ATAC-seq datasets to explore the genome-wide blueprint of conserved transcription factor binding motifs underlying gastrulation. We identified a core set of conserved DNA binding motifs associated with 62 known transcription factors, indicating the remarkable conservation of the gastrulation regulatory landscape across deuterostomes. Our findings offer valuable insights into the evolutionary molecular dynamics of embryonic development, shedding light on conserved regulatory subprograms and providing a comprehensive perspective on the conservation and divergence of gene regulation underlying the gastrulation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Buono
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.A.); (R.M.S.); (F.C.); (M.I.A.)
| | - Giovanni Annona
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.A.); (R.M.S.); (F.C.); (M.I.A.)
- Department of Research Infrastructure for Marine Biological Resources (RIMAR), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Marta Silvia Magri
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarollo (CABD), Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain;
| | | | - Rosa Maria Sepe
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.A.); (R.M.S.); (F.C.); (M.I.A.)
- Department of Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Ammiraglio Ferdinando Acton, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Filomena Caccavale
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.A.); (R.M.S.); (F.C.); (M.I.A.)
| | - Ignacio Maeso
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.A.); (R.M.S.); (F.C.); (M.I.A.)
| | - Salvatore D’Aniello
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.A.); (R.M.S.); (F.C.); (M.I.A.)
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2
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Negrón-Piñeiro LJ, Wu Y, Popsuj S, José-Edwards DS, Stolfi A, Di Gregorio A. Cis-regulatory interfaces reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying the notochord gene regulatory network of Ciona. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3025. [PMID: 38589372 PMCID: PMC11001920 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46850-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Tissue-specific gene expression is fundamental in development and evolution, and is mediated by transcription factors and by the cis-regulatory regions (enhancers) that they control. Transcription factors and their respective tissue-specific enhancers are essential components of gene regulatory networks responsible for the development of tissues and organs. Although numerous transcription factors have been characterized from different organisms, the knowledge of the enhancers responsible for their tissue-specific expression remains fragmentary. Here we use Ciona to study the enhancers associated with ten transcription factors expressed in the notochord, an evolutionary hallmark of the chordate phylum. Our results illustrate how two evolutionarily conserved transcription factors, Brachyury and Foxa2, coordinate the deployment of other notochord transcription factors. The results of these detailed cis-regulatory analyses delineate a high-resolution view of the essential notochord gene regulatory network of Ciona, and provide a reference for studies of transcription factors, enhancers, and their roles in development, disease, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenny J Negrón-Piñeiro
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | - Yushi Wu
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | - Sydney Popsuj
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Diana S José-Edwards
- Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Alberto Stolfi
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Anna Di Gregorio
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, 10010, USA.
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3
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Lin B, Shi W, Lu Q, Shito TT, Yu H, Dong B. Establishment of a developmental atlas and transgenetic tools in the ascidian Styela clava. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 5:435-454. [PMID: 38045543 PMCID: PMC10689645 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-023-00200-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The ascidian Styela clava is an ecologically important species that is distributed along coastal regions worldwide. It has a long history as a model animal for evolutionary and developmental biology research owing to its phylogenetic position between vertebrates and invertebrates, and its classical mosaic expression patterns. However, the standard developmental atlas and protocols and tools for molecular manipulation of this organism are inadequate. In this study, we established a standard developmental table and provided a web-based digital image resource for S. clava embryogenesis at each developmental stage from fertilized eggs to hatching larvae by utilizing confocal laser microscopy and 3D reconstruction images. It takes around 10 h for fertilized eggs to develop into swimming larvae and 20-30 min to complete the tail regression processes at the metamorphic stage. We observed that the notochord cells in S. clava embryos did not produce an extracellular lumen like Ciona robusta, but showed polarized elongation behaviors, providing us an ideal comparative model to study tissue morphogenesis. In addition, we established a chemical-washing procedure to remove the chorion easily from the fertilized eggs. Based on the dechorionation technique, we further realized transgenic manipulation by electroporation and successfully applied tissue-specific fluorescent labeling in S. clava embryos. Our work provides a standard imaging atlas and powerful genetic tools for investigating embryogenesis and evolution using S. clava as a model organism. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-023-00200-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boyan Lin
- Fang Zongxi Center, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Wenjie Shi
- Fang Zongxi Center, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Qiongxuan Lu
- Fang Zongxi Center, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Takumi T. Shito
- Department of Bioscience and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, 223-8522 Japan
| | - Haiyan Yu
- Fang Zongxi Center, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Bo Dong
- Fang Zongxi Center, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
- Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, 266237 China
- MoE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
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4
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Raghavan R, Coppola U, Wu Y, Ihewulezi C, Negrón-Piñeiro LJ, Maguire JE, Hong J, Cunningham M, Kim HJ, Albert TJ, Ali AM, Saint-Jeannet JP, Ristoratore F, Dahia CL, Di Gregorio A. Gene expression in notochord and nuclei pulposi: a study of gene families across the chordate phylum. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:63. [PMID: 37891482 PMCID: PMC10605842 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02167-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The transition from notochord to vertebral column is a crucial milestone in chordate evolution and in prenatal development of all vertebrates. As ossification of the vertebral bodies proceeds, involutions of residual notochord cells into the intervertebral discs form the nuclei pulposi, shock-absorbing structures that confer flexibility to the spine. Numerous studies have outlined the developmental and evolutionary relationship between notochord and nuclei pulposi. However, the knowledge of the similarities and differences in the genetic repertoires of these two structures remains limited, also because comparative studies of notochord and nuclei pulposi across chordates are complicated by the gene/genome duplication events that led to extant vertebrates. Here we show the results of a pilot study aimed at bridging the information on these two structures. We have followed in different vertebrates the evolutionary trajectory of notochord genes identified in the invertebrate chordate Ciona, and we have evaluated the extent of conservation of their expression in notochord cells. Our results have uncovered evolutionarily conserved markers of both notochord development and aging/degeneration of the nuclei pulposi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Raghavan
- Hospital for Special Surgery, Orthopedic Soft Tissue Research Program, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Ugo Coppola
- Stazione Zoologica 'A. Dohrn', Villa Comunale 1, 80121, Naples, Italy
- Present Address: Molecular Cardiovascular Biology Division and Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Yushi Wu
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | - Chibuike Ihewulezi
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | - Lenny J Negrón-Piñeiro
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | - Julie E Maguire
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | - Justin Hong
- Hospital for Special Surgery, Orthopedic Soft Tissue Research Program, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Matthew Cunningham
- Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, 10021, USA
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Han Jo Kim
- Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, 10021, USA
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Todd J Albert
- Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, 10021, USA
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Abdullah M Ali
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Jean-Pierre Saint-Jeannet
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | | | - Chitra L Dahia
- Hospital for Special Surgery, Orthopedic Soft Tissue Research Program, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Anna Di Gregorio
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, 10010, USA.
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5
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Sawada H, Inoue S, Saito T, Otsuka K, Shirae-Kurabayashi M. Involvement in Fertilization and Expression of Gamete Ubiquitin-Activating Enzymes UBA1 and UBA6 in the Ascidian Halocynthia roretzi. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10662. [PMID: 37445840 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The extracellular ubiquitin-proteasome system is involved in sperm binding to and/or penetration of the vitelline coat (VC), a proteinaceous egg coat, during fertilization of the ascidian (Urochordata) Halocynthia roretzi. It is also known that the sperm receptor on the VC, HrVC70, is ubiquitinated and degraded by the sperm proteasome during the sperm penetration of the VC and that a 700-kDa ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme complex is released upon sperm activation on the VC, which is designated the "sperm reaction". However, the de novo function of ubiquitin-activating enzyme (UBA/E1) during fertilization is poorly understood. Here, we show that PYR-41, a UBA inhibitor, strongly inhibited the fertilization of H. roretzi. cDNA cloning of UBA1 and UBA6 from H. roretzi gonads was carried out, and their 3D protein structures were predicted to be very similar to those of human UBA1 and UBA6, respectively, based on AlphaFold2. These two genes were transcribed in the ovary and testis and other organs, among which the expression of both was highest in the ovary. Immunocytochemistry showed that these enzymes are localized on the sperm head around a mitochondrial region and the follicle cells surrounding the VC. These results led us to propose that HrUBA1, HrUBA6, or both in the sperm head mitochondrial region and follicle cells may be involved in the ubiquitination of HrVC70, which is responsible for the fertilization of H. roretzi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Sawada
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, 429-63 Sugashima, Toba 517-0004, Japan
- Department of Food and Nutritional Environment, College of Human Life and Environment, Kinjo Gakuin University, Omori 2-1723, Moriyama-ku, Nagoya 463-8521, Japan
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Shukumi Inoue
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, 429-63 Sugashima, Toba 517-0004, Japan
| | - Takako Saito
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
- Shizuoka Institute for the Study of Marine Biology and Chemistry, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Kei Otsuka
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, 429-63 Sugashima, Toba 517-0004, Japan
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Life Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Maki Shirae-Kurabayashi
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, 429-63 Sugashima, Toba 517-0004, Japan
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6
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Vitrinel B, Vogel C, Christiaen L. Ring Finger 149-Related Is an FGF/MAPK-Independent Regulator of Pharyngeal Muscle Fate Specification. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:8865. [PMID: 37240211 PMCID: PMC10219245 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
During embryonic development, cell-fate specification gives rise to dedicated lineages that underlie tissue formation. In olfactores, which comprise tunicates and vertebrates, the cardiopharyngeal field is formed by multipotent progenitors of both cardiac and branchiomeric muscles. The ascidian Ciona is a powerful model to study cardiopharyngeal fate specification with cellular resolution, as only two bilateral pairs of multipotent cardiopharyngeal progenitors give rise to the heart and to the pharyngeal muscles (also known as atrial siphon muscles, ASM). These progenitors are multilineage primed, in as much as they express a combination of early ASM- and heart-specific transcripts that become restricted to their corresponding precursors, following oriented and asymmetric divisions. Here, we identify the primed gene ring finger 149 related (Rnf149-r), which later becomes restricted to the heart progenitors, but appears to regulate pharyngeal muscle fate specification in the cardiopharyngeal lineage. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated loss of Rnf149-r function impairs atrial siphon muscle morphogenesis, and downregulates Tbx1/10 and Ebf, two key determinants of pharyngeal muscle fate, while upregulating heart-specific gene expression. These phenotypes are reminiscent of the loss of FGF/MAPK signaling in the cardiopharyngeal lineage, and an integrated analysis of lineage-specific bulk RNA-seq profiling of loss-of-function perturbations has identified a significant overlap between candidate FGF/MAPK and Rnf149-r target genes. However, functional interaction assays suggest that Rnf149-r does not directly modulate the activity of the FGF/MAPK/Ets1/2 pathway. Instead, we propose that Rnf149-r acts both in parallel to the FGF/MAPK signaling on shared targets, as well as on FGF/MAPK-independent targets through (a) separate pathway(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Burcu Vitrinel
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Center for Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Christine Vogel
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Lionel Christiaen
- Center for Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, P.O. Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway
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7
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Daugavet MA, Dobrynina MI, Shaposhnikova TG, Solovyeva AI, Mittenberg AG, Shabelnikov SV, Babkina IY, Grinchenko AV, Ilyaskina DV, Podgornaya OI. New putative phenol oxidase in ascidian blood cells. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14326. [PMID: 35995990 PMCID: PMC9395347 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18283-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The phenol oxidase system is ancient and ubiquitously distributed in all living organisms. In various groups it serves for the biosynthesis of pigments and neurotransmitters (dopamine), defence reactions and tissue hardening. Ascidians belong to subphylum Tunicata, which is considered the closest living relative to Vertebrates. Two phenol oxidases previously described for ascidians are vertebrate-like and arthropod-like phenol oxidases. In our present study, we described a new ascidian protein, Tuphoxin, with putative phenol oxidase function, which bears no sequence similarity with two enzymes described previously. The closest related proteins to Tuphoxin are mollusc haemocyanins. Unlike haemocyanins, which are oxygen transporting plasma proteins, Tuphoxin is synthesised in ascidian blood cells and secreted in the extracellular matrix of the tunic—ascidian outer coverings. Single mature transcript coding for this phenol oxidase can give several protein products of different sizes. Thus limited proteolysis of the initial protein is suggested. A unique feature of Tuphoxins and their homologues among Tunicata is the presence of thrombospondin first type repeats (TSP1) domain in their sequence which is supposed to provide interaction with extracellular matrix. The finding of TSP1 in the structure of phenol oxidases is new and we consider this to be an innovation of Tunicata evolutionary lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Daugavet
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.
| | - M I Dobrynina
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - A I Solovyeva
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - A G Mittenberg
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - S V Shabelnikov
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - I Yu Babkina
- Saint-Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - A V Grinchenko
- A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - D V Ilyaskina
- A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Vladivostok, Russia.,Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - O I Podgornaya
- Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Saint-Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
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8
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Sawada H, Saito T. Mechanisms of Sperm-Egg Interactions: What Ascidian Fertilization Research Has Taught Us. Cells 2022; 11:2096. [PMID: 35805180 PMCID: PMC9265791 DOI: 10.3390/cells11132096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fertilization is an essential process in terrestrial organisms for creating a new organism with genetic diversity. Before gamete fusion, several steps are required to achieve successful fertilization. Animal spermatozoa are first activated and attracted to the eggs by egg-derived chemoattractants. During the sperm passage of the egg's extracellular matrix or upon the sperm binding to the proteinaceous egg coat, the sperm undergoes an acrosome reaction, an exocytosis of acrosome. In hermaphrodites such as ascidians, the self/nonself recognition process occurs when the sperm binds to the egg coat. The activated or acrosome-reacted spermatozoa penetrate through the proteinaceous egg coat. The extracellular ubiquitin-proteasome system, the astacin-like metalloproteases, and the trypsin-like proteases play key roles in this process in ascidians. In the present review, we summarize our current understanding and perspectives on gamete recognition and egg coat lysins in ascidians and consider the general mechanisms of fertilization in animals and plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Sawada
- Department of Nutritional Environment, College of Human Life and Environment, Kinjo Gakuin University, Nagoya 463-8521, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Takako Saito
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
- Shizuoka Institute for the Study of Marine Biology and Chemistry, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
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9
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Removal of the block to self-fertilization by low-calcium artificial seawater in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. ZYGOTE 2022; 30:738-742. [PMID: 35686329 DOI: 10.1017/s0967199422000144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Ascidians (Urochordate) are hermaphroditic marine invertebrates that release sperm and eggs to the surrounding seawater. However, several ascidians, including Ciona intestinalis and Halocynthia roretzi, show strict self-sterility due to a self/nonself-recognition mechanism in the interaction between sperm and the vitelline coat (VC) of the eggs. We have previously reported that sperm intracellular Ca2+ level drastically increased immediately after sperm binding to the VC of self eggs but not nonself eggs in C. intestinalis type A, which was potently inhibited by lowering the external Ca2+ concentration, suggesting that sperm Ca2+ influx occurs after sperm self-recognition on the VC. Here, we investigated whether self-sterility was abolished by lowering the external Ca2+ concentration in C. intestinalis. The results showed that the block to self-fertilization was removed by low-Ca2+ (∼1 mM) seawater without decreasing the fertilization rate. Such an effect was not observed with Mg2+ or K+. These results led us to conclude that a low-Ca2+ environment is sufficient to block the self-recognition signal upon fertilization. As low-Ca2+ seawater showed no effect on H. roretzi self-sterility, we propose that the mechanism of self-sterility in Ciona must be distinctive from that in Halocynthia.
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10
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Neuronal identities derived by misexpression of the POU IV sensory determinant in a protovertebrate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2118817119. [PMID: 35042818 PMCID: PMC8794889 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2118817119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The protovertebrate Ciona intestinalis is an ideal system to investigate both gene regulatory networks that underlie cell-type specification and how cell types have evolved. In this study, we use single-cell technology, experimental manipulations, and computational analyses to understand the role of the regulatory determinant POU IV—a homolog of Brn3 in vertebrates—in specifying various sensory cell types in Ciona. Surprisingly, the misexpression of POU IV throughout the epidermis led to the formation of hybrid sensory cell types, including those exhibiting properties of both palp sensory cells and bipolar tail neurons. These results demonstrate the interconnectedness of diverse sensory specification networks and give insights into the opportunities and challenges of reprogramming cell types through the targeted misexpression of cellular determinants. The protovertebrate Ciona intestinalis type A (sometimes called Ciona robusta) contains a series of sensory cell types distributed across the head–tail axis of swimming tadpoles. They arise from lateral regions of the neural plate that exhibit properties of vertebrate placodes and neural crest. The sensory determinant POU IV/Brn3 is known to work in concert with regional determinants, such as Foxg and Neurogenin, to produce palp sensory cells (PSCs) and bipolar tail neurons (BTNs), in head and tail regions, respectively. A combination of single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) assays, computational analysis, and experimental manipulations suggests that misexpression of POU IV results in variable transformations of epidermal cells into hybrid sensory cell types, including those exhibiting properties of both PSCs and BTNs. Hybrid properties are due to coexpression of Foxg and Neurogenin that is triggered by an unexpected POU IV feedback loop. Hybrid cells were also found to express a synthetic gene battery that is not coexpressed in any known cell type. We discuss these results with respect to the opportunities and challenges of reprogramming cell types through the targeted misexpression of cellular determinants.
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11
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Wu Y, Devotta A, José-Edwards DS, Kugler JE, Negrón-Piñeiro LJ, Braslavskaya K, Addy J, Saint-Jeannet JP, Di Gregorio A. Xbp1 and Brachyury establish an evolutionarily conserved subcircuit of the notochord gene regulatory network. eLife 2022; 11:e73992. [PMID: 35049502 PMCID: PMC8803312 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene regulatory networks coordinate the formation of organs and structures that compose the evolving body plans of different organisms. We are using a simple chordate model, the Ciona embryo, to investigate the essential gene regulatory network that orchestrates morphogenesis of the notochord, a structure necessary for the proper development of all chordate embryos. Although numerous transcription factors expressed in the notochord have been identified in different chordates, several of them remain to be positioned within a regulatory framework. Here, we focus on Xbp1, a transcription factor expressed during notochord formation in Ciona and other chordates. Through the identification of Xbp1-downstream notochord genes in Ciona, we found evidence of the early co-option of genes involved in the unfolded protein response to the notochord developmental program. We report the regulatory interplay between Xbp1 and Brachyury, and by extending these results to Xenopus, we show that Brachyury and Xbp1 form a cross-regulatory subcircuit of the notochord gene regulatory network that has been consolidated during chordate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yushi Wu
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Arun Devotta
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Diana S José-Edwards
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Jamie E Kugler
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Lenny J Negrón-Piñeiro
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Karina Braslavskaya
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | - Jermyn Addy
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
| | | | - Anna Di Gregorio
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of DentistryNew YorkUnited States
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12
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Morphological Study and 3D Reconstruction of the Larva of the Ascidian Halocynthia roretzi. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse10010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The swimming larva represents the dispersal phase of ascidians, marine invertebrates belonging to tunicates. Due to its adhesive papillae, the larva searches the substrate, adheres to it, and undergoes metamorphosis, thereby becoming a sessile filter feeding animal. The larva anatomy has been described in detail in a few species, revealing a different degree of adult structure differentiation, called adultation. In the solitary ascidian Halocynthia roretzi, a species reared for commercial purposes, embryogenesis has been described in detail, but information on the larval anatomy is still lacking. Here, we describe it using a comparative approach, utilizing 3D reconstruction, as well as histological/TEM observations, with attention to its papillae. The larva is comparable to those of other solitary ascidians, such as Ciona intestinalis. However, it displays a higher level of adultation for the presence of the atrium, opened outside by means of the atrial siphon, and the peribranchial chambers. It does not reach the level of complexity of the larva of Botryllus schlosseri, a phylogenetically close colonial ascidian. Our study reveals that the papillae of H. roretzi, previously described as simple and conform, exhibit dynamic changes during settlement. This opens up new considerations on papillae morphology and evolution and deserves to be further investigated.
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13
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Funakoshi HM, Shito TT, Oka K, Hotta K. Developmental Table and Three-Dimensional Embryological Image Resource of the Ascidian Ascidiella aspersa. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:789046. [PMID: 34977032 PMCID: PMC8718802 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.789046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ascidiella aspersa is an ascidian in the class of chordates—the closest relatives of vertebrates. A. aspersa is a potential model organism for bio-imaging studies due to its extremely transparent embryos as well as is a globally distributed cosmopolitan species. However, there is no standard developmental table for this organism. Here, as a first step to establish A. aspersa as a model organism, we report a standard developmental table as a web-based digital image resource. This resource used confocal laser scanning microscopy to scan more than 3,000 cross-sectional images and 3D-reconstructed images of A. aspersa embryos during embryogenesis. With reference to the standardized developmental table of Ciona intestinalis type A, 26 different developmental stages (Stages 1–26) from fertilized eggs to hatched larvae were redefined for A. aspersa. Cell lineages up to the cleavage period were annotated: The cleavage patterns, the embryonic morphology, and the developmental time were then compared with Ciona. We found that the cleavage patterns and developmental time up to the neurula period in A. aspersa were extremely conserved versus. Ciona. The ratio of the trunk and tail length in the tailbud period were smaller than Ciona indicating a relatively short tail. In addition, the timing of the bending of the tail is earlier than Ciona. This A. aspersa standard 3D digital resource is essential for connecting different omics data to different spatiotemporal hierarchies and is useful for a system-level understanding of chordate development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka M. Funakoshi
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takumi T. Shito
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kotaro Oka
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
- Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Japan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Kohji Hotta
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
- *Correspondence: Kohji Hotta,
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14
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Fodor ACA, Powers MM, Andrykovich K, Liu J, Lowe EK, Brown CT, Di Gregorio A, Stolfi A, Swalla BJ. The Degenerate Tale of Ascidian Tails. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:358-369. [PMID: 33881514 PMCID: PMC10452958 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ascidians are invertebrate chordates, with swimming chordate tadpole larvae that have distinct heads and tails. The head contains the small brain, sensory organs, including the ocellus (light) and otolith (gravity) and the presumptive endoderm, while the tail has a notochord surrounded by muscle cells and a dorsal nerve cord. One of the chordate features is a post-anal tail. Ascidian tadpoles are nonfeeding, and their tails are critical for larval locomotion. After hatching the larvae swim up toward light and are carried by the tide and ocean currents. When competent to settle, ascidian tadpole larvae swim down, away from light, to settle and metamorphose into a sessile adult. Tunicates are classified as chordates because of their chordate tadpole larvae; in contrast, the sessile adult has a U-shaped gut and very derived body plan, looking nothing like a chordate. There is one group of ascidians, the Molgulidae, where many species are known to have tailless larvae. The Swalla Lab has been studying the evolution of tailless ascidian larvae in this clade for over 30 years and has shown that tailless larvae have evolved independently several times in this clade. Comparison of the genomes of two closely related species, the tailed Molgula oculata and tailless Molgula occulta reveals much synteny, but there have been multiple insertions and deletions that have disrupted larval genes in the tailless species. Genomics and transcriptomics have previously shown that there are pseudogenes expressed in the tailless embryos, suggesting that the partial rescue of tailed features in their hybrid larvae is due to the expression of intact genes from the tailed parent. Yet surprisingly, we find that the notochord gene regulatory network is mostly intact in the tailless M. occulta, although the notochord does not converge and extend and remains as an aggregate of cells we call the "notoball." We expect that eventually many of the larval gene networks will become evolutionarily lost in tailless ascidians and the larval body plan abandoned, with eggs developing directly into an adult. Here we review the current evolutionary and developmental evidence on how the molgulids lost their tails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C A Fodor
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
| | - Megan M Powers
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kristin Andrykovich
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
| | - Jiatai Liu
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
| | - Elijah K Lowe
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680 Roscoff, France
| | - C Titus Brown
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680 Roscoff, France
- Population Health and Reproduction, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Anna Di Gregorio
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, NYU College of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Alberto Stolfi
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680 Roscoff, France
| | - Billie J Swalla
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680 Roscoff, France
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15
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Salvador-Martínez I, Grillo M, Averof M, Telford MJ. CeLaVi: an interactive cell lineage visualization tool. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:W80-W85. [PMID: 33956141 PMCID: PMC8265160 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent innovations in genetics and imaging are providing the means to reconstruct cell lineages, either by tracking cell divisions using live microscopy, or by deducing the history of cells using molecular recorders. A cell lineage on its own, however, is simply a description of cell divisions as branching events. A major goal of current research is to integrate this description of cell relationships with information about the spatial distribution and identities of the cells those divisions produce. Visualizing, interpreting and exploring these complex data in an intuitive manner requires the development of new tools. Here we present CeLaVi, a web-based visualization tool that allows users to navigate and interact with a representation of cell lineages, whilst simultaneously visualizing the spatial distribution, identities and properties of cells. CeLaVi’s principal functions include the ability to explore and manipulate the cell lineage tree; to visualise the spatial distribution of cell clones at different depths of the tree; to colour cells in the 3D viewer based on lineage relationships; to visualise various cell qualities on the 3D viewer (e.g. gene expression, cell type) and to annotate selected cells/clones. All these capabilities are demonstrated with four different example data sets. CeLaVi is available at http://www.celavi.pro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irepan Salvador-Martínez
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, Department of Genetics Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Marco Grillo
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon (IGFL), École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 32 avenue Tony Garnier, 69007 Lyon, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France
| | - Michalis Averof
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon (IGFL), École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 32 avenue Tony Garnier, 69007 Lyon, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France
| | - Maximilian J Telford
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, Department of Genetics Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
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16
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Ballarin L, Karahan A, Salvetti A, Rossi L, Manni L, Rinkevich B, Rosner A, Voskoboynik A, Rosental B, Canesi L, Anselmi C, Pinsino A, Tohumcu BE, Jemec Kokalj A, Dolar A, Novak S, Sugni M, Corsi I, Drobne D. Stem Cells and Innate Immunity in Aquatic Invertebrates: Bridging Two Seemingly Disparate Disciplines for New Discoveries in Biology. Front Immunol 2021; 12:688106. [PMID: 34276677 PMCID: PMC8278520 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.688106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The scopes related to the interplay between stem cells and the immune system are broad and range from the basic understanding of organism's physiology and ecology to translational studies, further contributing to (eco)toxicology, biotechnology, and medicine as well as regulatory and ethical aspects. Stem cells originate immune cells through hematopoiesis, and the interplay between the two cell types is required in processes like regeneration. In addition, stem and immune cell anomalies directly affect the organism's functions, its ability to cope with environmental changes and, indirectly, its role in ecosystem services. However, stem cells and immune cells continue to be considered parts of two branches of biological research with few interconnections between them. This review aims to bridge these two seemingly disparate disciplines towards much more integrative and transformative approaches with examples deriving mainly from aquatic invertebrates. We discuss the current understanding of cross-disciplinary collaborative and emerging issues, raising novel hypotheses and comments. We also discuss the problems and perspectives of the two disciplines and how to integrate their conceptual frameworks to address basic equations in biology in a new, innovative way.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arzu Karahan
- Middle East Technical University, Institute of Marine Sciences, Erdemli, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Alessandra Salvetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Experimental Biology and Genetics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Leonardo Rossi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Experimental Biology and Genetics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lucia Manni
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Baruch Rinkevich
- Department of Biology, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, Israel
| | - Amalia Rosner
- Department of Biology, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ayelet Voskoboynik
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove, CA, United States
- Department of Biology, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Benyamin Rosental
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Laura Canesi
- Department of Earth Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Anselmi
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove, CA, United States
| | - Annalisa Pinsino
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Begüm Ece Tohumcu
- Middle East Technical University, Institute of Marine Sciences, Erdemli, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Anita Jemec Kokalj
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andraž Dolar
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sara Novak
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Michela Sugni
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Corsi
- Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Damjana Drobne
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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17
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Reeves WM, Shimai K, Winkley KM, Veeman MT. Brachyury controls Ciona notochord fate as part of a feed-forward network. Development 2021; 148:dev195230. [PMID: 33419874 PMCID: PMC7875503 DOI: 10.1242/dev.195230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The notochord is a defining feature of the chordates. The transcription factor Brachyury (Bra) is a key regulator of notochord fate but here we show that it is not a unitary master regulator in the model chordate Ciona Ectopic Bra expression only partially reprograms other cell types to a notochord-like transcriptional profile and a subset of notochord-enriched genes is unaffected by CRISPR Bra disruption. We identify Foxa.a and Mnx as potential co-regulators, and find that combinatorial cocktails are more effective at reprogramming other cell types than Bra alone. We reassess the network relationships between Bra, Foxa.a and other components of the notochord gene regulatory network, and find that Foxa.a expression in the notochord is regulated by vegetal FGF signaling. It is a direct activator of Bra expression and has a binding motif that is significantly enriched in the regulatory regions of notochord-enriched genes. These and other results indicate that Bra and Foxa.a act together in a regulatory network dominated by positive feed-forward interactions, with neither being a classically defined master regulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy M Reeves
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Kotaro Shimai
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Konner M Winkley
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Michael T Veeman
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
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18
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Fodor A, Liu J, Turner L, Swalla BJ. Transitional chordates and vertebrate origins: Tunicates. Curr Top Dev Biol 2021; 141:149-171. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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19
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Transcription Factors of the bHLH Family Delineate Vertebrate Landmarks in the Nervous System of a Simple Chordate. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11111262. [PMID: 33114624 PMCID: PMC7693978 DOI: 10.3390/genes11111262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tunicates are marine invertebrates whose tadpole-like larvae feature a highly simplified version of the chordate body plan. Similar to their distant vertebrate relatives, tunicate larvae develop a regionalized central nervous system and form distinct neural structures, which include a rostral sensory vesicle, a motor ganglion, and a caudal nerve cord. The sensory vesicle contains a photoreceptive complex and a statocyst, and based on the comparable expression patterns of evolutionarily conserved marker genes, it is believed to include proto-hypothalamic and proto-retinal territories. The evolutionarily conserved molecular fingerprints of these landmarks of the vertebrate brain consist of genes encoding for different transcription factors, and of the gene batteries that they control, and include several members of the bHLH family. Here we review the complement of bHLH genes present in the streamlined genome of the tunicate Ciona robusta and their current classification, and summarize recent studies on proneural bHLH transcription factors and their expression territories. We discuss the possible roles of bHLH genes in establishing the molecular compartmentalization of the enticing nervous system of this unassuming chordate.
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20
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Ohtsuka Y, Inagaki H. In silico identification and functional validation of linear cationic α-helical antimicrobial peptides in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12619. [PMID: 32724213 PMCID: PMC7387483 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69485-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
We developed a computing method to identify linear cationic α-helical antimicrobial peptides (LCAMPs) in the genome of Ciona intestinalis based on its structural and physicochemical features. Using this method, 22 candidates of Ciona LCAMPs, including well-known antimicrobial peptides, were identified from 21,975 non-redundant amino acid sequences in Ciona genome database, Ghost database. We also experimentally confirmed the antimicrobial activities of five LCAMP candidates, and three of them were found to be active in the presence of 500 mM NaCl, nearly equivalent to the salt concentration of seawater. Membrane topology prediction suggested that salt resistance of Ciona LCAMPs might be influenced by hydrophobic interactions between the peptide and membrane. Further, we applied our method to Xenopus tropicalis genome and found 11 LCAMP candidates. Thus, our method may serve as an effective and powerful tool for searching LCAMPs that are difficult to find using conventional homology-based methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukio Ohtsuka
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan.
| | - Hidetoshi Inagaki
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan.
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21
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Sawada H, Yamamoto K, Yamaguchi A, Yamada L, Higuchi A, Nukaya H, Fukuoka M, Sakuma T, Yamamoto T, Sasakura Y, Shirae-Kurabayashi M. Three multi-allelic gene pairs are responsible for self-sterility in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2514. [PMID: 32054881 PMCID: PMC7018956 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59147-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many hermaphroditic organisms possess a self-incompatibility system to avoid inbreeding. Although the mechanisms of self-incompatibility in flowering plants are well known, little is known about the mechanisms of self-sterility in hermaphroditic marine invertebrates. Ascidians are hermaphroditic sessile marine invertebrates that release sperm and eggs into the surrounding seawater. Several species, including Ciona intestinalis type A (Ciona robusta), exhibit strict self-sterility. In a previous study, we found that the candidate genes responsible for self-sterility in Ciona reside in chromosome 2q (locus A) and chromosome 7q (locus B). Two pairs of multi-allelic genes, named s(sperm)-Themis-A and v(vitelline-coat)-Themis-A in locus A and s-Themis-B and v-Themis-B in locus B, are responsible for self-sterility. In this study, we identified a third multi-allelic gene pair, s-Themis-B2 and v-Themis-B2, within locus B that is also involved in this system. Genetic analysis revealed that the haplotypes of s/v-Themis-A, s/v-Themis-B and s/v-Themis-B2 play essential roles in self-sterility. When three haplotypes were matched between s-Themis and v-Themis, fertilization never occurred even in nonself crossing. Interestingly, gene targeting of either s/v-Themis-B/B2 or s/v-Themis-A by genome editing enabled self-fertilization. These results indicate that s/v-Themis-A, -B and -B2 are S-determinant genes responsible for self-sterility in the ascidian C. intestinalis type A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Sawada
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan.
| | - Kazunori Yamamoto
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
| | - Akira Yamaguchi
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
| | - Lixy Yamada
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
| | - Arata Higuchi
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Nukaya
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
| | - Masashi Fukuoka
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Sakuma
- Division of Integrated Sciences for Life, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan
| | - Takashi Yamamoto
- Division of Integrated Sciences for Life, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan
| | - Yasunori Sasakura
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shimoda, Shizuoka, 415-0025, Japan
| | - Maki Shirae-Kurabayashi
- Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Sugashima, Toba, 517-0004, Japan
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22
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Dardaillon J, Dauga D, Simion P, Faure E, Onuma TA, DeBiasse MB, Louis A, Nitta KR, Naville M, Besnardeau L, Reeves W, Wang K, Fagotto M, Guéroult-Bellone M, Fujiwara S, Dumollard R, Veeman M, Volff JN, Roest Crollius H, Douzery E, Ryan JF, Davidson B, Nishida H, Dantec C, Lemaire P. ANISEED 2019: 4D exploration of genetic data for an extended range of tunicates. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:D668-D675. [PMID: 31680137 PMCID: PMC7145539 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
ANISEED (https://www.aniseed.cnrs.fr) is the main model organism database for the worldwide community of scientists working on tunicates, the vertebrate sister-group. Information provided for each species includes functionally-annotated gene and transcript models with orthology relationships within tunicates, and with echinoderms, cephalochordates and vertebrates. Beyond genes the system describes other genetic elements, including repeated elements and cis-regulatory modules. Gene expression profiles for several thousand genes are formalized in both wild-type and experimentally-manipulated conditions, using formal anatomical ontologies. These data can be explored through three complementary types of browsers, each offering a different view-point. A developmental browser summarizes the information in a gene- or territory-centric manner. Advanced genomic browsers integrate the genetic features surrounding genes or gene sets within a species. A Genomicus synteny browser explores the conservation of local gene order across deuterostome. This new release covers an extended taxonomic range of 14 species, including for the first time a non-ascidian species, the appendicularian Oikopleura dioica. Functional annotations, provided for each species, were enhanced through a combination of manual curation of gene models and the development of an improved orthology detection pipeline. Finally, gene expression profiles and anatomical territories can be explored in 4D online through the newly developed Morphonet morphogenetic browser.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Delphine Dauga
- Bioself Communication; 28 rue de la Bibliothèque, F-13001 Marseille, France
| | - Paul Simion
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Faure
- Laboratoire d’Informatique de Robotique et de Microélectronique de Montpellier (LIRMM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Takeshi A Onuma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Melissa B DeBiasse
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, 9505 Ocean Shore Boulevard, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Alexandra Louis
- DYOGEN, IBENS, Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Inserm, PSL Research University, F-75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Magali Naville
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS; 46 allée d’Italie, F-69364 Lyon, France
| | - Lydia Besnardeau
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, CNRS; Quai de la Darse, F-06234 Villefranche-sur-Mer Cedex, France
| | - Wendy Reeves
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Kai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | | | | | - Shigeki Fujiwara
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kochi University, Kochi-shi, Kochi, Japan
| | - Rémi Dumollard
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, CNRS; Quai de la Darse, F-06234 Villefranche-sur-Mer Cedex, France
| | - Michael Veeman
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Jean-Nicolas Volff
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS; 46 allée d’Italie, F-69364 Lyon, France
| | - Hugues Roest Crollius
- DYOGEN, IBENS, Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Inserm, PSL Research University, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Douzery
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Joseph F Ryan
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, 9505 Ocean Shore Boulevard, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Bradley Davidson
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA
| | - Hiroki Nishida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
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23
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Ryan K, Meinertzhagen IA. Neuronal identity: the neuron types of a simple chordate sibling, the tadpole larva of Ciona intestinalis. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 56:47-60. [PMID: 30530111 PMCID: PMC6551260 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Neurons of the sparsely populated nervous system of the tadpole larva in the tunicate Ciona intestinalis, a chordate sibling, are known from sporadic previous studies but especially two recent reports that document the connectome of both the central and peripheral nervous systems at EM level. About 330 CNS cells comprise mostly ciliated ependymal cells, with ∼180 neurons that constitute about 50 morphologically distinguishable types. The neurons reveal various chordate characters amid many features that are idiosyncratic. Most neurons are ciliated and lack dendrites, some even lack an axon. Synapses mostly form en passant between axons, and resemble those in basal invertebrates; some are dyads and all have heterogenous synaptic vesicle populations. Each neuron has on average 49 synapses with other cells; these constitute a synaptic network of unpredicted complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerrianne Ryan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Ian A Meinertzhagen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada.
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24
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Irvine SQ, Ristoratore F, Di Gregorio A. Tunicates: From humble sea squirt to proud model organism. Dev Biol 2019; 448:69-70. [PMID: 30803728 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven Q Irvine
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA.
| | - Filomena Ristoratore
- Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, Napoli, Italy
| | - Anna Di Gregorio
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA
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25
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Racioppi C, Coppola U, Christiaen L, Ristoratore F. Transcriptional regulation of Rab32/38, a specific marker of pigment cell formation in Ciona robusta. Dev Biol 2019; 448:111-118. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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26
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Kugler JE, Wu Y, Katikala L, Passamaneck YJ, Addy J, Caballero N, Oda-Ishii I, Maguire JE, Li R, Di Gregorio A. Positioning a multifunctional basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor within the Ciona notochord gene regulatory network. Dev Biol 2019; 448:119-135. [PMID: 30661645 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In a multitude of organisms, transcription factors of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family control the expression of genes required for organ development and tissue differentiation. The functions of different bHLH transcription factors in the specification of nervous system and paraxial mesoderm have been widely investigated in various model systems. Conversely, the knowledge of the role of these regulators in the development of the axial mesoderm, the embryonic territory that gives rise to the notochord, and the identities of their target genes, remain still fragmentary. Here we investigated the transcriptional regulation and target genes of Bhlh-tun1, a bHLH transcription factor expressed in the developing Ciona notochord as well as in additional embryonic territories that contribute to the formation of both larval and adult structures. We describe its possible role in notochord formation, its relationship with the key notochord transcription factor Brachyury, and suggest molecular mechanisms through which Bhlh-tun1 controls the spatial and temporal expression of its effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie E Kugler
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, 345 E 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Yushi Wu
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, 345 E 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Lavanya Katikala
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, 345 E 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Yale J Passamaneck
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, 345 E 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Jermyn Addy
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, 345 E 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Natalia Caballero
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, 345 E 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Izumi Oda-Ishii
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, 345 E 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Julie E Maguire
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, 345 E 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Raymond Li
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, 345 E 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Anna Di Gregorio
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University College of Dentistry, 345 E 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA.
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27
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Madgwick A, Magri MS, Dantec C, Gailly D, Fiuza UM, Guignard L, Hettinger S, Gomez-Skarmeta JL, Lemaire P. Evolution of embryonic cis-regulatory landscapes between divergent Phallusia and Ciona ascidians. Dev Biol 2019; 448:71-87. [PMID: 30661644 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Ascidian species of the Phallusia and Ciona genera are distantly related, their last common ancestor dating several hundred million years ago. Although their genome sequences have extensively diverged since this radiation, Phallusia and Ciona species share almost identical early morphogenesis and stereotyped cell lineages. Here, we explored the evolution of transcriptional control between P. mammillata and C. robusta. We combined genome-wide mapping of open chromatin regions in both species with a comparative analysis of the regulatory sequences of a test set of 10 pairs of orthologous early regulatory genes with conserved expression patterns. We find that ascidian chromatin accessibility landscapes obey similar rules as in other metazoa. Open-chromatin regions are short, highly conserved within each genus and cluster around regulatory genes. The dynamics of chromatin accessibility and closest-gene expression are strongly correlated during early embryogenesis. Open-chromatin regions are highly enriched in cis-regulatory elements: 73% of 49 open chromatin regions around our test genes behaved as either distal enhancers or proximal enhancer/promoters following electroporation in Phallusia eggs. Analysis of this datasets suggests a pervasive use in ascidians of "shadow" enhancers with partially overlapping activities. Cross-species electroporations point to a deep conservation of both the trans-regulatory logic between these distantly-related ascidians and the cis-regulatory activities of individual enhancers. Finally, we found that the relative order and approximate distance to the transcription start site of open chromatin regions can be conserved between Ciona and Phallusia species despite extensive sequence divergence, a property that can be used to identify orthologous enhancers, whose regulatory activity can partially diverge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Madgwick
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Marta Silvia Magri
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad Pablo de Olavide/Junta de Andalucía, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Christelle Dantec
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Damien Gailly
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Ulla-Maj Fiuza
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Léo Guignard
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix drive, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Sabrina Hettinger
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Jose Luis Gomez-Skarmeta
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad Pablo de Olavide/Junta de Andalucía, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Patrick Lemaire
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
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28
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Ferrández-Roldán A, Martí-Solans J, Cañestro C, Albalat R. Oikopleura dioica: An Emergent Chordate Model to Study the Impact of Gene Loss on the Evolution of the Mechanisms of Development. Results Probl Cell Differ 2019; 68:63-105. [PMID: 31598853 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-23459-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The urochordate Oikopleura dioica is emerging as a nonclassical animal model in the field of evolutionary developmental biology (a.k.a. evo-devo) especially attractive for investigating the impact of gene loss on the evolution of mechanisms of development. This is because this organism fulfills the requirements of an animal model (i.e., has a simple and accessible morphology, a short generation time and life span, and affordable culture in the laboratory and amenable experimental manipulation), but also because O. dioica occupies a key phylogenetic position to understand the diversification and origin of our own phylum, the chordates. During its evolution, O. dioica genome has suffered a drastic process of compaction, becoming the smallest known chordate genome, a process that has been accompanied by exacerbating amount of gene losses. Interestingly, however, despite the extensive gene losses, including entire regulatory pathways essential for the embryonic development of other chordates, O. dioica retains the typical chordate body plan. This unexpected situation led to the formulation of the so-called inverse paradox of evo-devo, that is, when a genetic diversity is able to maintain a phenotypic unity. This chapter reviews the biological features of O. dioica as a model animal, along with the current data on the evolution of its genes and genome. We pay special attention to the numerous examples of gene losses that have taken place during the evolution of this unique animal model, which is helping us to understand to which the limits of evo-devo can be pushed off.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Ferrández-Roldán
- Facultat de Biologia, Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Josep Martí-Solans
- Facultat de Biologia, Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Cristian Cañestro
- Facultat de Biologia, Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ricard Albalat
- Facultat de Biologia, Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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29
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Somorjai IML, Martí-Solans J, Diaz-Gracia M, Nishida H, Imai KS, Escrivà H, Cañestro C, Albalat R. Wnt evolution and function shuffling in liberal and conservative chordate genomes. Genome Biol 2018; 19:98. [PMID: 30045756 PMCID: PMC6060547 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1468-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND What impact gene loss has on the evolution of developmental processes, and how function shuffling has affected retained genes driving essential biological processes, remain open questions in the fields of genome evolution and EvoDevo. To investigate these problems, we have analyzed the evolution of the Wnt ligand repertoire in the chordate phylum as a case study. RESULTS We conduct an exhaustive survey of Wnt genes in genomic databases, identifying 156 Wnt genes in 13 non-vertebrate chordates. This represents the most complete Wnt gene catalog of the chordate subphyla and has allowed us to resolve previous ambiguities about the orthology of many Wnt genes, including the identification of WntA for the first time in chordates. Moreover, we create the first complete expression atlas for the Wnt family during amphioxus development, providing a useful resource to investigate the evolution of Wnt expression throughout the radiation of chordates. CONCLUSIONS Our data underscore extraordinary genomic stasis in cephalochordates, which contrasts with the liberal and dynamic evolutionary patterns of gene loss and duplication in urochordate genomes. Our analysis has allowed us to infer ancestral Wnt functions shared among all chordates, several cases of function shuffling among Wnt paralogs, as well as unique expression domains for Wnt genes that likely reflect functional innovations in each chordate lineage. Finally, we propose a potential relationship between the evolution of WntA and the evolution of the mouth in chordates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ildikó M L Somorjai
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, Scotland, UK.
- Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, Scotland, UK.
| | - Josep Martí-Solans
- Departament de Genètica, , Microbiologia i Estadística, and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miriam Diaz-Gracia
- Departament de Genètica, , Microbiologia i Estadística, and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hiroki Nishida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Kaoru S Imai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Hector Escrivà
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des Organismes Marins (BIOM), Observatoire Océanologique, F-66650, Banyuls/Mer, France
| | - Cristian Cañestro
- Departament de Genètica, , Microbiologia i Estadística, and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Ricard Albalat
- Departament de Genètica, , Microbiologia i Estadística, and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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30
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Lowe EK, Stolfi A. Developmental system drift in motor ganglion patterning between distantly related tunicates. EvoDevo 2018; 9:18. [PMID: 30062003 PMCID: PMC6057086 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-018-0107-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The larval nervous system of the solitary tunicate Ciona is a simple model for the study of chordate neurodevelopment. The development and connectivity of the Ciona motor ganglion have been studied in fine detail, but how this important structure develops in other tunicates is not well known. METHODS AND RESULTS By comparing gene expression patterns in the developing MG of the distantly related tunicate Molgula occidentalis, we found that its patterning is highly conserved compared to the Ciona MG. MG neuronal subtypes in Molgula were specified in the exact same positions as in Ciona, though the timing of subtype-specific gene expression onset was slightly shifted to begin earlier, relative to mitotic exit and differentiation. In transgenic Molgula embryos electroporated with Dmbx reporter plasmids, we were also able to characterize the morphology of the lone pair of descending decussating neurons (ddNs) in Molgula, revealing the same unique contralateral projection seen in Ciona ddNs and their putative vertebrate homologs the Mauthner cells. Although Dmbx expression labels the ddNs in both species, cross-species transgenic assays revealed significant changes to the regulatory logic underlying Dmbx transcription. We found that Dmbx cis-regulatory DNAs from Ciona can drive highly specific reporter gene expression in Molgula ddNs, but Molgula sequences are not active in Ciona ddNs. CONCLUSIONS This acute divergence in the molecular mechanisms that underlie otherwise functionally conserved cis-regulatory DNAs supports the recently proposed idea that the extreme genetic plasticity observed in tunicates may be attributed to the extreme rigidity of the spatial organization of their embryonic cell lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elijah K. Lowe
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Alberto Stolfi
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA USA
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31
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Delsuc F, Philippe H, Tsagkogeorga G, Simion P, Tilak MK, Turon X, López-Legentil S, Piette J, Lemaire P, Douzery EJP. A phylogenomic framework and timescale for comparative studies of tunicates. BMC Biol 2018; 16:39. [PMID: 29653534 PMCID: PMC5899321 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0499-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Tunicates are the closest relatives of vertebrates and are widely used as models to study the evolutionary developmental biology of chordates. Their phylogeny, however, remains poorly understood, and to date, only the 18S rRNA nuclear gene and mitogenomes have been used to delineate the major groups of tunicates. To resolve their evolutionary relationships and provide a first estimate of their divergence times, we used a transcriptomic approach to build a phylogenomic dataset including all major tunicate lineages, consisting of 258 evolutionarily conserved orthologous genes from representative species. Results Phylogenetic analyses using site-heterogeneous CAT mixture models of amino acid sequence evolution resulted in a strongly supported tree topology resolving the relationships among four major tunicate clades: (1) Appendicularia, (2) Thaliacea + Phlebobranchia + Aplousobranchia, (3) Molgulidae, and (4) Styelidae + Pyuridae. Notably, the morphologically derived Thaliacea are confirmed as the sister group of the clade uniting Phlebobranchia + Aplousobranchia within which the precise position of the model ascidian genus Ciona remains uncertain. Relaxed molecular clock analyses accommodating the accelerated evolutionary rate of tunicates reveal ancient diversification (~ 450–350 million years ago) among the major groups and allow one to compare their evolutionary age with respect to the major vertebrate model lineages. Conclusions Our study represents the most comprehensive phylogenomic dataset for the main tunicate lineages. It offers a reference phylogenetic framework and first tentative timescale for tunicates, allowing a direct comparison with vertebrate model species in comparative genomics and evolutionary developmental biology studies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12915-018-0499-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Delsuc
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France.
| | - Hervé Philippe
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, UMR CNRS 5321, Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, Moulis, France.,Département de Biochimie, Centre Robert-Cedergren, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Georgia Tsagkogeorga
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France.,School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Paul Simion
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Marie-Ka Tilak
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Xavier Turon
- Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB, CSIC), Girona, Spain
| | - Susanna López-Legentil
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA
| | - Jacques Piette
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier, UMR 5237, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Patrick Lemaire
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier, UMR 5237, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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32
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Blanchoud S, Rutherford K, Zondag L, Gemmell NJ, Wilson MJ. De novo draft assembly of the Botrylloides leachii genome provides further insight into tunicate evolution. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5518. [PMID: 29615780 PMCID: PMC5882950 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23749-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Tunicates are marine invertebrates that compose the closest phylogenetic group to the vertebrates. These chordates present a particularly diverse range of regenerative abilities and life-history strategies. Consequently, tunicates provide an extraordinary perspective into the emergence and diversity of these traits. Here we describe the genome sequencing, annotation and analysis of the Stolidobranchian Botrylloides leachii. We have produced a high-quality 159 Mb assembly, 82% of the predicted 194 Mb genome. Analysing genome size, gene number, repetitive elements, orthologs clustering and gene ontology terms show that B. leachii has a genomic architecture similar to that of most solitary tunicates, while other recently sequenced colonial ascidians have undergone genome expansion. In addition, ortholog clustering has identified groups of candidate genes for the study of colonialism and whole-body regeneration. By analysing the structure and composition of conserved gene linkages, we observed examples of cluster breaks and gene dispersions, suggesting that several lineage-specific genome rearrangements occurred during tunicate evolution. We also found lineage-specific gene gain and loss within conserved cell-signalling pathways. Such examples of genetic changes within conserved cell-signalling pathways commonly associated with regeneration and development that may underlie some of the diverse regenerative abilities observed in tunicates. Overall, these results provide a novel resource for the study of tunicates and of colonial ascidians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Blanchoud
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.,Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Kim Rutherford
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Lisa Zondag
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Megan J Wilson
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
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33
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Brozovic M, Dantec C, Dardaillon J, Dauga D, Faure E, Gineste M, Louis A, Naville M, Nitta KR, Piette J, Reeves W, Scornavacca C, Simion P, Vincentelli R, Bellec M, Aicha SB, Fagotto M, Guéroult-Bellone M, Haeussler M, Jacox E, Lowe EK, Mendez M, Roberge A, Stolfi A, Yokomori R, Brown C, Cambillau C, Christiaen L, Delsuc F, Douzery E, Dumollard R, Kusakabe T, Nakai K, Nishida H, Satou Y, Swalla B, Veeman M, Volff JN, Lemaire P. ANISEED 2017: extending the integrated ascidian database to the exploration and evolutionary comparison of genome-scale datasets. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:D718-D725. [PMID: 29149270 PMCID: PMC5753386 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx1108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
ANISEED (www.aniseed.cnrs.fr) is the main model organism database for tunicates, the sister-group of vertebrates. This release gives access to annotated genomes, gene expression patterns, and anatomical descriptions for nine ascidian species. It provides increased integration with external molecular and taxonomy databases, better support for epigenomics datasets, in particular RNA-seq, ChIP-seq and SELEX-seq, and features novel interactive interfaces for existing and novel datatypes. In particular, the cross-species navigation and comparison is enhanced through a novel taxonomy section describing each represented species and through the implementation of interactive phylogenetic gene trees for 60% of tunicate genes. The gene expression section displays the results of RNA-seq experiments for the three major model species of solitary ascidians. Gene expression is controlled by the binding of transcription factors to cis-regulatory sequences. A high-resolution description of the DNA-binding specificity for 131 Ciona robusta (formerly C. intestinalis type A) transcription factors by SELEX-seq is provided and used to map candidate binding sites across the Ciona robusta and Phallusia mammillata genomes. Finally, use of a WashU Epigenome browser enhances genome navigation, while a Genomicus server was set up to explore microsynteny relationships within tunicates and with vertebrates, Amphioxus, echinoderms and hemichordates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Delphine Dauga
- Bioself Communication; 28 rue de la Bibliothèque, F-13001 Marseille, France
| | - Emmanuel Faure
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Team VORTEX, Institut de Recherche en Informatique de Toulouse, Universities Toulouse I and III, CNRS, INPT, ENSEEIHT; 2 rue Camichel, BP 7122, F-31071 Toulouse Cedex 7, France
| | | | - Alexandra Louis
- DYOGEN, IBENS, Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Inserm, PSL Research University, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Magali Naville
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS; 46 allée d’Italie, F-69364 Lyon, France
| | - Kazuhiro R Nitta
- IBDM, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Campus de Luminy, Case 907; 163 Avenue de Luminy, F-13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France
| | - Jacques Piette
- CRBM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Wendy Reeves
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
| | | | - Paul Simion
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Renaud Vincentelli
- AFMB, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Campus de Luminy, Case 932, 163 Avenue de Luminy, F-13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France
| | | | - Sameh Ben Aicha
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, CNRS; Quai de la Darse, F-06234 Villefranche-sur-Mer Cedex, France
| | | | | | - Maximilian Haeussler
- Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, MS CBSE, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Edwin Jacox
- CRBM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Elijah K Lowe
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824, USA
| | - Mickael Mendez
- IBDM, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Campus de Luminy, Case 907; 163 Avenue de Luminy, F-13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France
| | | | - Alberto Stolfi
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Rui Yokomori
- Human Genome Center, the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - C Titus Brown
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824, USA
- Population Health and Reproduction, UC Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Christian Cambillau
- AFMB, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Campus de Luminy, Case 932, 163 Avenue de Luminy, F-13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France
| | - Lionel Christiaen
- New York University, Center for Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology, 1009 Silver Center, 100 Washington Square East, New York City, NY10003, USA
| | - Frédéric Delsuc
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Douzery
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Rémi Dumollard
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, CNRS; Quai de la Darse, F-06234 Villefranche-sur-Mer Cedex, France
| | - Takehiro Kusakabe
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University, Kobe 658-8501, Japan
| | - Kenta Nakai
- Human Genome Center, the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Hiroki Nishida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Yutaka Satou
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Billie Swalla
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824, USA
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, 620 University Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250-9299, USA
| | - Michael Veeman
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Jean-Nicolas Volff
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS; 46 allée d’Italie, F-69364 Lyon, France
| | - Patrick Lemaire
- CRBM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Abstract
Every cell within living organisms actively maintains an intracellular Na+ concentration that is 10-12 times lower than the extracellular concentration. The cells then utilize this transmembrane Na+ concentration gradient as a driving force to produce electrical signals, sometimes in the form of action potentials. The protein family comprising voltage-gated sodium channels (NaVs) is essential for such signaling and enables cells to change their status in a regenerative manner and to rapidly communicate with one another. NaVs were first predicted in squid and were later identified through molecular biology in the electric eel. Since then, these proteins have been discovered in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. Recent research has succeeded in decoding the amino acid sequences of a wide variety of NaV family members, as well as the three-dimensional structures of some. These studies and others have uncovered several of the major steps in the functional and structural transition of NaV proteins that has occurred along the course of the evolutionary history of organisms. Here we present an overview of the molecular evolutionary innovations that established present-day NaV α subunits and discuss their contribution to the evolutionary changes in animal bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuo Nishino
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
| | - Yasushi Okamura
- Integrative Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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Shimai K, Kusakabe TG. The Use of cis-Regulatory DNAs as Molecular Tools. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-7545-2_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Practical Guide for Ascidian Microinjection: Phallusia mammillata. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018. [PMID: 29542077 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-7545-2_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Phallusia mammillata has recently emerged as a new ascidian model. Its unique characteristics, including the optical transparency of eggs and embryos and efficient translation of exogenously introduced mRNA in eggs, make the Phallusia system suitable for fluorescent protein (FP)-based imaging approaches. In addition, genomic and transcriptomic resources are readily available for this ascidian species, facilitating functional gene studies. Microinjection is probably the most versatile technique for introducing exogenous molecules such as plasmids, mRNAs, and proteins into ascidian eggs/embryos. However, it is not practiced widely within the community; presumably, because the system is rather laborious to set up and it requires practice. Here, we describe in as much detail as possible two microinjection methods that we use daily in the laboratory: one based on an inverted microscope and the other on a stereomicroscope. Along the stepwise description of system setup and injection procedure, we provide practical tips in the hope that this chapter might be a useful guide for introducing or improving a microinjection setup.
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Reeves WM, Wu Y, Harder MJ, Veeman MT. Functional and evolutionary insights from the Ciona notochord transcriptome. Development 2017; 144:3375-3387. [PMID: 28928284 DOI: 10.1242/dev.156174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The notochord of the ascidian Ciona consists of only 40 cells, and is a longstanding model for studying organogenesis in a small, simple embryo. Here, we perform RNAseq on flow-sorted notochord cells from multiple stages to define a comprehensive Ciona notochord transcriptome. We identify 1364 genes with enriched expression and extensively validate the results by in situ hybridization. These genes are highly enriched for Gene Ontology terms related to the extracellular matrix, cell adhesion and cytoskeleton. Orthologs of 112 of the Ciona notochord genes have known notochord expression in vertebrates, more than twice as many as predicted by chance alone. This set of putative effector genes with notochord expression conserved from tunicates to vertebrates will be invaluable for testing hypotheses about notochord evolution. The full set of Ciona notochord genes provides a foundation for systems-level studies of notochord gene regulation and morphogenesis. We find only modest overlap between this set of notochord-enriched transcripts and the genes upregulated by ectopic expression of the key notochord transcription factor Brachyury, indicating that Brachyury is not a notochord master regulator gene as strictly defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy M Reeves
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Yuye Wu
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Matthew J Harder
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Michael T Veeman
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
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Sekigami Y, Kobayashi T, Omi A, Nishitsuji K, Ikuta T, Fujiyama A, Satoh N, Saiga H. Hox gene cluster of the ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi, reveals multiple ancient steps of cluster disintegration during ascidian evolution. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2017; 3:17. [PMID: 28932414 PMCID: PMC5602962 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-017-0078-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hox gene clusters with at least 13 paralog group (PG) members are common in vertebrate genomes and in that of amphioxus. Ascidians, which belong to the subphylum Tunicata (Urochordata), are phylogenetically positioned between vertebrates and amphioxus, and traditionally divided into two groups: the Pleurogona and the Enterogona. An enterogonan ascidian, Ciona intestinalis (Ci), possesses nine Hox genes localized on two chromosomes; thus, the Hox gene cluster is disintegrated. We investigated the Hox gene cluster of a pleurogonan ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi (Hr) to investigate whether Hox gene cluster disintegration is common among ascidians, and if so, how such disintegration occurred during ascidian or tunicate evolution. RESULTS Our phylogenetic analysis reveals that the Hr Hox gene complement comprises nine members, including one with a relatively divergent Hox homeodomain sequence. Eight of nine Hr Hox genes were orthologous to Ci-Hox1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 12 and 13. Following the phylogenetic classification into 13 PGs, we designated Hr Hox genes as Hox1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11/12/13.a, 11/12/13.b and HoxX. To address the chromosomal arrangement of the nine Hox genes, we performed two-color chromosomal fluorescent in situ hybridization, which revealed that the nine Hox genes are localized on a single chromosome in Hr, distinct from their arrangement in Ci. We further examined the order of the nine Hox genes on the chromosome by chromosome/scaffold walking. This analysis suggested a gene order of Hox1, 11/12/13.b, 11/12/13.a, 10, 5, X, followed by either Hox4, 3, 2 or Hox2, 3, 4 on the chromosome. Based on the present results and those previously reported in Ci, we discuss the establishment of the Hox gene complement and disintegration of Hox gene clusters during the course of ascidian or tunicate evolution. CONCLUSIONS The Hox gene cluster and the genome must have experienced extensive reorganization during the course of evolution from the ancestral tunicate to Hr and Ci. Nevertheless, some features are shared in Hox gene components and gene arrangement on the chromosomes, suggesting that Hox gene cluster disintegration in ascidians involved early events common to tunicates as well as later ascidian lineage-specific events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Sekigami
- Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minamiohsawa, Hachiohji, Tokyo, 192-0397 Japan
| | - Takuya Kobayashi
- Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minamiohsawa, Hachiohji, Tokyo, 192-0397 Japan
| | - Ai Omi
- Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minamiohsawa, Hachiohji, Tokyo, 192-0397 Japan
| | - Koki Nishitsuji
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495 Japan
| | - Tetsuro Ikuta
- Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minamiohsawa, Hachiohji, Tokyo, 192-0397 Japan
| | - Asao Fujiyama
- National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540 Japan
| | - Noriyuki Satoh
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495 Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Saiga
- Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minamiohsawa, Hachiohji, Tokyo, 192-0397 Japan
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Racioppi C, Valoroso MC, Coppola U, Lowe EK, Brown CT, Swalla BJ, Christiaen L, Stolfi A, Ristoratore F. Evolutionary loss of melanogenesis in the tunicate Molgula occulta. EvoDevo 2017; 8:11. [PMID: 28729899 PMCID: PMC5516394 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-017-0074-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Analyzing close species with diverse developmental modes is instrumental for investigating the evolutionary significance of physiological, anatomical and behavioral features at a molecular level. Many examples of trait loss are known in metazoan populations living in dark environments. Tunicates are the closest living relatives of vertebrates and typically present a lifecycle with distinct motile larval and sessile adult stages. The nervous system of the motile larva contains melanized cells associated with geotactic and light-sensing organs. It has been suggested that these are homologous to vertebrate neural crest-derived melanocytes. Probably due to ecological adaptation to distinct habitats, several species of tunicates in the Molgulidae family have tailless (anural) larvae that fail to develop sensory organ-associated melanocytes. Here we studied the evolution of Tyrosinase family genes, indispensible for melanogenesis, in the anural, unpigmented Molgula occulta and in the tailed, pigmented Molgula oculata by using phylogenetic, developmental and molecular approaches. RESULTS We performed an evolutionary reconstruction of the tunicate Tyrosinase gene family: in particular, we found that M. oculata possesses genes predicted to encode one Tyrosinase (Tyr) and three Tyrosinase-related proteins (Tyrps) while M. occulta has only Tyr and Tyrp.a pseudogenes that are not likely to encode functional proteins. Analysis of Tyr sequences from various M. occulta individuals indicates that different alleles independently acquired frameshifting short indels and/or larger mobile genetic element insertions, resulting in pseudogenization of the Tyr locus. In M. oculata, Tyr is expressed in presumptive pigment cell precursors as in the model tunicate Ciona robusta. Furthermore, a M. oculata Tyr reporter gene construct was active in the pigment cell precursors of C. robusta embryos, hinting at conservation of the regulatory network underlying Tyr expression in tunicates. In contrast, we did not observe any expression of the Tyr pseudogene in M. occulta embryos. Similarly, M. occulta Tyr allele expression was not rescued in pigmented interspecific M. occulta × M. oculata hybrid embryos, suggesting deleterious mutations also to its cis-regulatory sequences. However, in situ hybridization for transcripts from the M. occulta Tyrp.a pseudogene revealed its expression in vestigial pigment cell precursors in this species. CONCLUSIONS We reveal a complex evolutionary history of the melanogenesis pathway in tunicates, characterized by distinct gene duplication and loss events. Our expression and molecular data support a tight correlation between pseudogenization of Tyrosinase family members and the absence of pigmentation in the immotile larvae of M. occulta. These results suggest that relaxation of purifying selection has resulted in the loss of sensory organ-associated melanocytes and core genes in the melanogenesis biosynthetic pathway in M. occulta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Racioppi
- Biology and Evolution of Marine organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
- Center for Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY USA
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France
| | - Maria Carmen Valoroso
- Biology and Evolution of Marine organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Ugo Coppola
- Biology and Evolution of Marine organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Elijah K. Lowe
- Biology and Evolution of Marine organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA USA
| | - C. Titus Brown
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA USA
- Population Health and Reproduction, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA USA
| | - Billie J. Swalla
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA USA
| | - Lionel Christiaen
- Center for Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY USA
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France
| | - Alberto Stolfi
- Center for Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY USA
- Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Filomena Ristoratore
- Biology and Evolution of Marine organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
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Gandhi S, Haeussler M, Razy-Krajka F, Christiaen L, Stolfi A. Evaluation and rational design of guide RNAs for efficient CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis in Ciona. Dev Biol 2017; 425:8-20. [PMID: 28341547 PMCID: PMC5502750 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 system has emerged as an important tool for various genome engineering applications. A current obstacle to high throughput applications of CRISPR/Cas9 is the imprecise prediction of highly active single guide RNAs (sgRNAs). We previously implemented the CRISPR/Cas9 system to induce tissue-specific mutations in the tunicate Ciona. In the present study, we designed and tested 83 single guide RNA (sgRNA) vectors targeting 23 genes expressed in the cardiopharyngeal progenitors and surrounding tissues of Ciona embryo. Using high-throughput sequencing of mutagenized alleles, we identified guide sequences that correlate with sgRNA mutagenesis activity and used this information for the rational design of all possible sgRNAs targeting the Ciona transcriptome. We also describe a one-step cloning-free protocol for the assembly of sgRNA expression cassettes. These cassettes can be directly electroporated as unpurified PCR products into Ciona embryos for sgRNA expression in vivo, resulting in high frequency of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis in somatic cells of electroporated embryos. We found a strong correlation between the frequency of an Ebf loss-of-function phenotype and the mutagenesis efficacies of individual Ebf-targeting sgRNAs tested using this method. We anticipate that our approach can be scaled up to systematically design and deliver highly efficient sgRNAs for the tissue-specific investigation of gene functions in Ciona.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maximilian Haeussler
- Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California, MS CBSE, Santa Cruz, USA
| | | | | | - Alberto Stolfi
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, USA.
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Wang K, Dantec C, Lemaire P, Onuma TA, Nishida H. Genome-wide survey of miRNAs and their evolutionary history in the ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:314. [PMID: 28427349 PMCID: PMC5399378 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3707-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND miRNAs play essential roles in the modulation of cellular functions via degradation and/or translation attenuation of target mRNAs. They have been surveyed in a single ascidian genus, Ciona. Recently, an annotated draft genome sequence for a distantly related ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi, has become available, but miRNAs in H. roretzi have not been previously studied. RESULTS We report the prediction of 319 candidate H. roretzi miRNAs, obtained through three complementary methods. Experimental validation suggests that more than half of these candidate miRNAs are expressed during embryogenesis. The majority of predicted H. roretzi miRNAs appear specific to ascidians or tunicates, and only 32 candidates, belonging to 25 families, are widely conserved across metazoans. CONCLUSION Our study presents a comprehensive identification of candidate H. roretzi miRNAs. This resource will facilitate the study of the mechanisms for miRNA-controlled gene regulatory networks during ascidian development. Further, our analysis suggests that the majority of Halocynthia miRNAs are specific to ascidian or tunicates, with only a small number of widely conserved miRNAs. This result is consistent with the general notion that animal miRNAs are less conserved between taxa than plant ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan. .,Present address: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biological Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China.
| | - Christelle Dantec
- Centre de Recherches de Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), UMR5237, CNRS-Université de Montpellier, 1919 route de Mende, F-34090, Montpellier, France
| | - Patrick Lemaire
- Centre de Recherches de Biologie cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), UMR5237, CNRS-Université de Montpellier, 1919 route de Mende, F-34090, Montpellier, France
| | - Takeshi A Onuma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Hiroki Nishida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
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Salvador-Martínez I, Salazar-Ciudad I. How complexity increases in development: An analysis of the spatial-temporal dynamics of Gene expression in Ciona intestinalis. Mech Dev 2017; 144:113-124. [PMID: 28189795 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2017.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The increase in complexity in an embryo over developmental time is perhaps one of the most intuitive processes of animal development. It is also intuitive that the embryo becomes progressively compartmentalized over time and space. In spite of this intuitiveness, there are no systematic attempts to quantify how this occurs. Here, we present a quantitative analysis of the compartmentalization and spatial complexity of Ciona intestinalis over developmental time by analyzing thousands of gene expression spatial patterns from the ANISEED database. We measure compartmentalization in two ways: as the relative volume of expression of genes and as the disparity in gene expression between body parts. We also use a measure of the curvature of each gene expression pattern in 3D space. These measures show a similar increase over time, with the most dramatic change occurring from the 112-cell stage to the early tailbud stage. Combined, these measures point to a global pattern of increase in complexity in the Ciona embryo. Finally, we cluster the different regions of the embryo depending on their gene expression similarity, within and between stages. Results from this clustering analysis, which partially correspond to known fate maps, provide a global quantitative overview about differentiation and compartmentalization between body parts at each developmental stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irepan Salvador-Martínez
- Evo-devo Helsinki community, Center of Excellence in Experimental Computational Developmental Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Isaac Salazar-Ciudad
- Evo-devo Helsinki community, Center of Excellence in Experimental Computational Developmental Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Genomics, Bioinformatics and Evolution, Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Ryan K, Lu Z, Meinertzhagen IA. The CNS connectome of a tadpole larva of Ciona intestinalis (L.) highlights sidedness in the brain of a chordate sibling. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27921996 PMCID: PMC5140270 DOI: 10.7554/elife.16962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Left-right asymmetries in brains are usually minor or cryptic. We report brain asymmetries in the tiny, dorsal tubular nervous system of the ascidian tadpole larva, Ciona intestinalis. Chordate in body plan and development, the larva provides an outstanding example of brain asymmetry. Although early neural development is well studied, detailed cellular organization of the swimming larva's CNS remains unreported. Using serial-section EM we document the synaptic connectome of the larva's 177 CNS neurons. These formed 6618 synapses including 1772 neuromuscular junctions, augmented by 1206 gap junctions. Neurons are unipolar with at most a single dendrite, and few synapses. Some synapses are unpolarised, others form reciprocal or serial motifs; 922 were polyadic. Axo-axonal synapses predominate. Most neurons have ciliary organelles, and many features lack structural specialization. Despite equal cell numbers on both sides, neuron identities and pathways differ left/right. Brain vesicle asymmetries include a right ocellus and left coronet cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerrianne Ryan
- Department of Biology, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Zhiyuan Lu
- Department of Biology, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Ian A Meinertzhagen
- Department of Biology, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Life Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
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Jegla T, Nguyen MM, Feng C, Goetschius DJ, Luna E, van Rossum DB, Kamel B, Pisupati A, Milner ES, Rolls MM. Bilaterian Giant Ankyrins Have a Common Evolutionary Origin and Play a Conserved Role in Patterning the Axon Initial Segment. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006457. [PMID: 27911898 PMCID: PMC5135030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In vertebrate neurons, the axon initial segment (AIS) is specialized for action potential initiation. It is organized by a giant 480 Kd variant of ankyrin G (AnkG) that serves as an anchor for ion channels and is required for a plasma membrane diffusion barrier that excludes somatodendritic proteins from the axon. An unusually long exon required to encode this 480Kd variant is thought to have been inserted only recently during vertebrate evolution, so the giant ankyrin-based AIS scaffold has been viewed as a vertebrate adaptation for fast, precise signaling. We re-examined AIS evolution through phylogenomic analysis of ankyrins and by testing the role of ankyrins in proximal axon organization in a model multipolar Drosophila neuron (ddaE). We find giant isoforms of ankyrin in all major bilaterian phyla, and present evidence in favor of a single common origin for giant ankyrins and the corresponding long exon in a bilaterian ancestor. This finding raises the question of whether giant ankyrin isoforms play a conserved role in AIS organization throughout the Bilateria. We examined this possibility by looking for conserved ankyrin-dependent AIS features in Drosophila ddaE neurons via live imaging. We found that ddaE neurons have an axonal diffusion barrier proximal to the cell body that requires a giant isoform of the neuronal ankyrin Ank2. Furthermore, the potassium channel shal concentrates in the proximal axon in an Ank2-dependent manner. Our results indicate that the giant ankyrin-based cytoskeleton of the AIS may have evolved prior to the radiation of extant bilaterian lineages, much earlier than previously thought. The axon initial segment (AIS) is currently thought to be a distinguishing feature of vertebrate neurons that adapts them for rapid, precise signaling. It serves as a hub for the regulation of neuronal excitability as the site of action potential initiation and also acts as the boundary between the highly-specialized axon and the rest of the cell. Here we show that the giant ankyrins that structurally organize the AIS, and were thought to be vertebrate-specific, instead have an ancient origin in a bilaterian ancestor. We further show the presence of a giant ankyrin-dependent AIS-like plasma membrane boundary between the axon and soma in a Drosophila sensory neuron. These results suggest that the cytoskeletal backbone for the AIS is not unique to vertebrates, but instead may be an evolutionarily conserved feature of bilaterian neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Jegla
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MMR); (TJ)
| | - Michelle M. Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Chengye Feng
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Daniel J. Goetschius
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Esteban Luna
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Damian B. van Rossum
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Bishoy Kamel
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Aditya Pisupati
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Elliott S. Milner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Melissa M. Rolls
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MMR); (TJ)
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Diving into marine genomics with CRISPR/Cas9 systems. Mar Genomics 2016; 30:55-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2016.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Kari W, Zeng F, Zitzelsberger L, Will J, Rothbächer U. Embryo Microinjection and Electroporation in the Chordate Ciona intestinalis. J Vis Exp 2016. [PMID: 27805579 PMCID: PMC5092207 DOI: 10.3791/54313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple model organisms are instrumental for in vivo studies of developmental and cellular differentiation processes. Currently, the evolutionary distance to man of conventional invertebrate model systems and the complexity of genomes in vertebrates are critical challenges to modeling human normal and pathological conditions. The chordate Ciona intestinalis is an invertebrate chordate that emerged from a common ancestor with the vertebrates and may represent features at the interface between invertebrates and vertebrates. A common body plan with much simpler cellular and genomic composition should unveil gene regulatory network (GRN) links and functional genomics readouts explaining phenomena in the vertebrate condition. The compact genome of Ciona, a fixed embryonic lineage with few divisions and large cells, combined with versatile community tools foster efficient gene functional analyses in this organism. Here, we present several crucial methods for this promising model organism, which belongs to the closest sister group to vertebrates. We present protocols for transient transgenesis by electroporation, along with microinjection-mediated gene knockdown, which together provide the means to study gene function and genomic regulatory elements. We extend our protocols to provide information on how community databases are utilized for in silico design of gene regulatory or gene functional experiments. An example study demonstrates how novel information can be gained on the interplay, and its quantification, of selected neural factors conserved between Ciona and man. Furthermore, we show examples of differential subcellular localization in embryonic cells, following DNA electroporation in Ciona zygotes. Finally, we discuss the potential of these protocols to be adapted for tissue specific gene interference with emerging gene editing methods. The in vivo approaches in Ciona overcome major shortcomings of classical model organisms in the quest of unraveling conserved mechanisms in the chordate developmental program, relevant to stem cell research, drug discovery, and subsequent clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willi Kari
- Department of Evolution and Developmental Biology, Zoological Institute, University Innsbruck
| | - Fan Zeng
- Department of Evolution and Developmental Biology, Zoological Institute, University Innsbruck
| | - Lena Zitzelsberger
- Department of Evolution and Developmental Biology, Zoological Institute, University Innsbruck
| | - Johannes Will
- Department of Evolution and Developmental Biology, Zoological Institute, University Innsbruck
| | - Ute Rothbächer
- Department of Evolution and Developmental Biology, Zoological Institute, University Innsbruck;
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Abstract
Ascidians are invertebrate chordates with a biphasic life cycle characterized by a dual body plan that displays simplified versions of chordate structures, such as a premetamorphic 40-cell notochord topped by a dorsal nerve cord and postmetamorphic pharyngeal slits. These relatively simple chordates are characterized by rapid development, compact genomes and ease of transgenesis, and thus provide the opportunity to rapidly characterize the genomic organization, developmental function, and transcriptional regulation of evolutionarily conserved gene families. This review summarizes the current knowledge on members of the T-box family of transcription factors in Ciona and other ascidians. In both chordate and nonchordate animals, these genes control a variety of morphogenetic processes, and their mutations are responsible for malformations and developmental defects in organisms ranging from flies to humans. In ascidians, T-box transcription factors are required for the formation and specialization of essential structures, including notochord, muscle, heart, and differentiated neurons. In recent years, the experimental advantages offered by ascidian embryos have allowed the rapid accumulation of a wealth of information on the molecular mechanisms that regulate the expression of T-box genes. These studies have also elucidated the strategies employed by these transcription factors to orchestrate the appropriate spatial and temporal deployment of the numerous target genes that they control.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Di Gregorio
- New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, United States.
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Velandia-Huerto CA, Gittenberger AA, Brown FD, Stadler PF, Bermúdez-Santana CI. Automated detection of ncRNAs in the draft genome sequence of a colonial tunicate: the carpet sea squirt Didemnum vexillum. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:691. [PMID: 27576499 PMCID: PMC5006418 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2934-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The colonial ascidian Didemnum vexillum, sea carpet squirt, is not only a key marine organism to study morphological ancestral patterns of chordates evolution but it is also of great ecological importance due to its status as a major invasive species. Non-coding RNAs, in particular microRNAs (miRNAs), are important regulatory genes that impact development and environmental adaptation. Beyond miRNAs, not much in known about tunicate ncRNAs. RESULTS We provide here a comprehensive homology-based annotation of non-coding RNAs in the recently sequenced genome of D. vexillum. To this end we employed a combination of several computational approaches, including blast searches with a wide range of parameters, and secondary structured centered survey with infernal. The resulting candidate set was curated extensively to produce a high-quality ncRNA annotation of the first draft of the D. vexillum genome. It comprises 57 miRNA families, 4 families of ribosomal RNAs, 22 isoacceptor classes of tRNAs (of which more than 72 % of loci are pseudogenes), 13 snRNAs, 12 snoRNAs, and 1 other RNA family. Additionally, 21 families of mitochondrial tRNAs and 2 of mitochondrial ribosomal RNAs and 1 long non-coding RNA. CONCLUSIONS The comprehensive annotation of the D. vexillum non-coding RNAs provides a starting point towards a better understanding of the restructuring of the small RNA system in ascidians. Furthermore it provides a valuable research for efforts to establish detailed non-coding RNA annotations for other recently published and recently sequences in tunicate genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian A. Velandia-Huerto
- Biology Department, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45 # 26-85, Edif. Uriel Gutiérrez, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
| | - Adriaan A. Gittenberger
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, P.O. Box 9505, 2300 RA Netherlands
- GiMaRIS, BioScience Park Leiden, J.H. Oortweg 21, 2333 CH, Leiden, Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Federico D. Brown
- Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo Evolutiva, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Cra 1 No. 18A-12, Bogotá, Colombia
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, Tr. 14 no. 101, São Paulo SP, Brazil
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, Rod. Manuel Hypólito do Rego km. 131.5, Praia do Cabelo Gordo, São Sebastião, Brazil
| | - Peter F. Stadler
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Leipzig, Härtelstraße 16–18, Leipzig, D-04107 Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Inselstraße 22, Leipzig, D-04103 Germany
- Fraunhofer Institut for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Perlickstraße 1, Leipzig, D-04103 Germany
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Straße 17, Vienna, A-1090 Austria
- Center for non-coding RNA in Technology and Health, Grønegårdsvej 3, Frederiksberg C, DK-1870 Denmark
- Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Rd., Santa Fe, NM87501 USA
| | - Clara I. Bermúdez-Santana
- Biology Department, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45 # 26-85, Edif. Uriel Gutiérrez, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
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Abstract
Cardiac cell specification and the genetic determinants that govern this process are highly conserved among Chordates. Recent studies have established the importance of evolutionarily-conserved mechanisms in the study of congenital heart defects and disease, as well as cardiac regeneration. As a basal Chordate, the Ciona model system presents a simple scaffold that recapitulates the basic blueprint of cardiac development in Chordates. Here we will focus on the development and cellular structure of the heart of the ascidian Ciona as compared to other Chordates, principally vertebrates. Comparison of the Ciona model system to heart development in other Chordates presents great potential for dissecting the genetic mechanisms that underlie congenital heart defects and disease at the cellular level and might provide additional insight into potential pathways for therapeutic cardiac regeneration.
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Kodama H, Miyata Y, Kuwajima M, Izuchi R, Kobayashi A, Gyoja F, Onuma TA, Kumano G, Nishida H. Redundant mechanisms are involved in suppression of default cell fates during embryonic mesenchyme and notochord induction in ascidians. Dev Biol 2016; 416:162-172. [PMID: 27265866 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Revised: 05/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
During embryonic induction, the responding cells invoke an induced developmental program, whereas in the absence of an inducing signal, they assume a default uninduced cell fate. Suppression of the default fate during the inductive event is crucial for choice of the binary cell fate. In contrast to the mechanisms that promote an induced cell fate, those that suppress the default fate have been overlooked. Upon induction, intracellular signal transduction results in activation of genes encoding key transcription factors for induced tissue differentiation. It is elusive whether an induced key transcription factor has dual functions involving suppression of the default fates and promotion of the induced fate, or whether suppression of the default fate is independently regulated by other factors that are also downstream of the signaling cascade. We show that during ascidian embryonic induction, default fates were suppressed by multifold redundant mechanisms. The key transcription factor, Twist-related.a, which is required for mesenchyme differentiation, and another independent transcription factor, Lhx3, which is dispensable for mesenchyme differentiation, sequentially and redundantly suppress the default muscle fate in induced mesenchyme cells. Similarly in notochord induction, Brachyury, which is required for notochord differentiation, and other factors, Lhx3 and Mnx, are likely to suppress the default nerve cord fate redundantly. Lhx3 commonly suppresses the default fates in two kinds of induction. Mis-activation of the autonomously executed default program in induced cells is detrimental to choice of the binary cell fate. Multifold redundant mechanisms would be required for suppression of the default fate to be secure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Kodama
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Miyata
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Mami Kuwajima
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Izuchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Ayumi Kobayashi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Fuki Gyoja
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Takeshi A Onuma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Gaku Kumano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Hiroki Nishida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.
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